The US Coast Guard speaking with boat owners in Vieques, Puerto Rico, in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Maria. (US DOD)

Next week, Cornell alum and University of Central Florida professor Luis E. Santiago is returning to campus to present findings from his study of coastal sites in Puerto Rico post–Hurricane Maria. Santiago, an associate professor at the University of Central Florida School of Public Affairs, examined green, blue, and gray infrastructural changes after the hurricane, with an eye towards developing a coastal marine ecosystem data bank that could assist in future post-disaster responses.

On September 20, 2017, Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico, bringing sustained category four winds and up to 45 inches of rain. Residents experienced widespread flooding, vegetation loss, and physical infrastructure systems failure. Santiago’s study assessed post-hurricane changes in green, blue, and gray infrastructure and associated changes in ecosystem service provision levels at two coastal sites. The research team aims to develop a coastal marine ecosystem databank that will inform extreme event planning and emergency response efforts. Post-hurricane coastal infrastructure and ecosystem services data became critical due to the magnitude of losses in community assets, resulting in fragmentation and displacement.

More information on this and other Department of City and Regional Planning (CRP) lectures can be found here.